


Blowing The Smoke

by frosteddream



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: .2 seconds of Harry with another dude, Crimes & Criminals, Criminal Harry, Crossdressing, Drug Use, Fluff, M/M, Manipulation, Minor Character Death, Sexual Tension, Smut, Stripper Louis, Strippers, side Ziam
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-13
Updated: 2016-12-01
Packaged: 2018-08-22 03:55:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 18,097
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8271775
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/frosteddream/pseuds/frosteddream
Summary: After spending three years in prison, Harry decides to turn over a new leaf. He decides to change his ways, start a new life, and never revert to how he used to be. It all seems so simple until an erotic, thrill seeking stripper comes along.   Come say hi to me on Tumblr!





	1. Ready

After three years of paying for the stupid shit he had done, Harry was finally able to see trees, roads, buildings, and people that were dressed in other attire besides police uniforms and atrocious orange jumpsuits. After three years, he could breathe air that wasn’t filled with the same stench he grew accustomed to smelling in his prison cell. After three _fucking_ years of being kept in a concrete cage among ruthless animals and power hungry hunters, he was finally free.

When Harry was led out of the prison walls, wearing the same clothes he wore when he went in, he was instantly greeted by a familiar face whose eyes were misting with unshed tears.

“Niall,” Harry breathed in slight disbelief.

Unable to keep his cool any longer, Niall ran to Harry at full speed and threw his arms around him. Harry hugged him back as tight as he could, his mind still trying to process the fact that this moment was real. This wasn’t a dream that his mind had conjured up while he was sleeping, this was truly happening. He was seriously just let out of prison.

“Hey my little convict,” Niall said softly, his voice wavering.

“Correction, _ex_ -convict,” Harry chuckled, his voice also wavering.

They broke apart when they heard someone clear their throat. Harry turned around to see officer Garrett giving him a smile that was filled with pride. Harry smiled back at him and then stepped forward to give him a tight hug.

“I hope this isn’t the last time I get to see you,” Garrett said.

“No way!” Harry replied, stepping back from their embrace. “you and I are definitely keeping in contact, Gary.”

Garrett grinned at that. Harry gave him one last wave before he got in Niall’s car.

As Niall drove down the road towards his apartment in Sacramento, Harry looked out the window, staring in awe at all the buildings, new and old, that whizzed by.

“Holy shit!” Harry exclaimed excitedly. “When did a TGI Fridays get built?”

“They just finished it a couple of months ago,” Niall answered, amused by Harry’s excitement. “Would you like to eat there one day next week?”

“I will make sweet, sweet love to you if we can eat there _tonight_.” Harry said, practically trembling with excitement. The boy fucking _loved_ TGI Fridays.

“No sweet, sweet love for me then,” Niall sighed in mock devastation. “Unfortunately, Zayn has something planned tonight to celebrate your release.”

“Where are we going?” Harry asked warily. Zayn’s version of fun wasn’t exactly… legal. The Harry Styles from three years ago would have no issue with that. In fact, he would often help Zayn come up with illegal shit to do. However, the Harry Styles that existed right now was a new man. He promised himself all throughout his sentence that he would clean up his act and turn over a new leaf, and he planned to keep that promise.

Niall noticed the wary look on Harry’s face and frowned.

“It’s nothing shady, man,” Niall assured, turning his attention back on the road.

They were quiet for a while before Niall broke the silence.

“Things aren’t gonna be as fun as they used to be.” Niall more stated than asked. Harry gritted his teeth at that.

“Yeah,” Harry answered, his tone holding a certain bite to it. “I plan to be a damn _bore_ from now on. Those type of people tend to stay out of prison.”

Niall winced at Harry’s harsh tone before he sighed, “Harry, I didn’t mean-“

“Save it,” Harry snapped. “Look, Ni, I was serious when I said that I wanna change. These last three years have been absolute hell for me. Do you have any idea what it’s like in there? You’re treated like a rabid animal, you’re terrified of the world beyond your cell where no other inmate can get to you, and there’s zero privacy. No matter where you go, someone is always watching you, judging you. You have no fucking clue what any of that is like. I don’t wanna go back in there, Ni. I won’t go through any of that shit again. I’ll off myself before that happens.”

“Calm down,” Niall snapped. “I knew that you were serious, Harry, and I respect the fact that you wanna change. None of the shit we used to do was right and we all know it, but the old days… the old days were _wild_. You, me, and Zayn walking everywhere like we owned everything and doing shit we weren’t meant to be doing.”

“They were fun for me too,” Harry said, feeling a tad bit calmer. “but I just… can’t. I’m sorry for snapping Niall, but it really was horrible in there. It’s like they don’t send you there to change or get rehabilitated. They send you there because you’re a massive fuck up of society and they gotta do _something_ with you.”

“Well, _you_ changed,” Niall pointed out. Harry shrugged and Niall knew that that conversation was over.

Harry’s mood elevated to new heights when Niall pulled up in the parking lot of the apartment complex. Harry still couldn’t believe that Niall had kept the place after all these years.

“Ain’t got nowhere else to be,” Niall had once said on the matter. “That's my home.”

Harry stared at the complex, noticing all the changes that were made to it. There was now a playground built right next to it, which was currently only populated by a woman and a child who were laughing on the swing sets, and the formerly beige buildings were repainted emerald green.

As soon as Niall parked, Harry bolted out of the car, eliciting a loud laugh from Niall. Harry took the steps two at a time until he finally reached the third floor. Niall took his time going up the steps and scoffed when he saw Harry standing by his door, buzzing in excitement as he waited for Niall to unlock it. Niall took the key out of his back pocket and unlocked the door. Harry gave a deep breath and slowly entered the room, observing the familiar space.

“Jesus Christ,” Niall laughed. “The dramatics!”

“Shut up, Horny Horan,” Harry scoffed. Niall’s face turned red as a tomato as memories of how he got that nickname started to flood his mind.

“It was ninth grade!” Niall shouted. “When will you stop bringing it up?!”

“When it stops being funny,” Harry answered.

“Ok then… Angelica.” Niall said with a sly grin. It was now Harry’s turn to get red in the face.

“Fuck you, man,” Harry muttered.

“Nah, I’d rather have Angelica fuck me,”

“Jesus Christ, shut up! We’re even now.”

Ninth grade wasn’t the best year for either of them.

They were startled by sudden, loud knocking on the door.

“Come out here and give me a hug, ex-con!” A familiar voice shouted from the other side of the door. Harry grinned before he stepped towards the door and threw it open, revealing Cara standing there with the hugest grin on her face. She jumped up and wrapped her arms and legs around Harry like a koala.

“Welcome home!” she exclaimed, her voice filled with excitement.

“It’s good to be home.” Harry breathed, wrapping her up in a tight hug.

After a while of Harry and Cara just embracing each other, Niall came up and wrapped his arms around them. Harry and Cara gave Niall a confused look.

“I feel left out,” Niall said with a shrug.

 ~

“Zayn wants to take me where?”

“Come on! It’s your favorite place!”

“It _used_ to be my favorite place.”

“Harry, please, for old time’s sake.”

“ _Niall_ ,”

“ _Harry_ ,”

Harry gave a deep sigh before he sunk back into the couch. Niall had just told him where Zayn’s little ‘welcome home from prison’ celebration was being held. Garnet. Garnet was a members only male strip club that the old Harry used to _thrive_ in. He’d go there every Saturday night to bed strippers, use his reputation to intimidate punks who loved to act tough, and drown himself in drugs and alcohol. It wasn’t exactly the most perfect place to start his new life.

“What’s the problem, H?” Cara asked, genuinely confused by Harry’s attitude. “No one’s asking you to revert back to your old ways or anything. We just wanna take you out for some drinks and see some hot dudes get naked.”

“I… I don’t know,” Harry sighed.

Niall raised an eyebrow at Harry before he pulled his phone out of his back pocket. He went to his contacts, pressed a specific name, and put the phone on speaker. After a few rings, a voice that Harry hadn’t heard in a long time flowed from the phone.

“’sup, Ni,” The voice greeted.

“Hey, Zayn,” Niall replied with a grin. “I called you because Harry’s being a bitch.”

Harry squawked at that.

“Is that true, Harry?” Zayn asked, his tone unreadable. Harry wasn’t even shocked that Zayn knew he was on speaker. This was normal for them.

“I just don’t feel comfortable going to Garnet,” Harry explained. “You know the type of shit we used to pull there, and I just-“

“No one’s asking you to be the person you used to be,” Zayn chuckled. “We just wanna take you out for a few drinks and see some hot dudes get naked.”

“Told you,” Cara smirked.

“Come on, Haz,” Zayn pleaded. “You’ll have a good time, meet my new boyfriend, get wasted, t-“

“Wait a second,” Harry interrupted. “You have a boyfriend? What happened with Perrie?”

“We uh… just didn’t work out,” Zayn answered. “But let’s not get into that. Are we on or not?”

Harry thought it over for a moment. On one hand, it may not be good for him to traipse around his old stomping ground, but on the other hand, it’s only a few drinks and… he would love to ‘look but not touch’ again. With that in mind, Harry grinned and asked, “Babes or darlings?”

“Darlings,” Zayn answered.

The strippers who worked at Garnet were called Babes and Darlings. Babes had muscular builds and dominant personas, while Darlings were on the slim side and had passive and soft personas. On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, Babes would perform. On Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, Darlings would perform. Martin Knox, the owner of Garnet, didn’t open on Sundays because he attended church.

“That should definitely persuade you,” Zayn said. “You _love_ your Darlings.”

“That I do,” Harry mused. “Alright, we’re on.”

“Yay!” Niall cheered. “The boys are back!”

Cara cleared her throat.

“With a badass female edition!” Niall added. Cara grinned at that.

~

Garnet looked a lot different than it looked three years ago. The building was repainted a darker red, the front double doors were pitch black, a black plaque with Garnet written on it in beautiful script hung above the doors, and rose bushes lined the front of the building. It truly looked like a members-only place.

“Martin sure did fix up the place,” Harry said as he, Niall, and Cara made their way towards the building.

“He wanted to attract a richer clientele, so he revamped the place.” Niall said.

“Did it work?” Harry asked.

“You tell me,” Niall smirked, gesturing around the parking lot. At first, Harry was confused as to what he was supposed to notice, and then it hit him. The parking lot was _filled_ with expensive and/or foreign cars, all shiny and free from any scratches or nicks. To say that Niall’s 2003 Toyota Camry stood out would be the understatement of the century.

“Styles!”

Before Harry could react to his name being called, he felt someone barrel right into him. He looked at the person and was just about to curse them out until he got a good look at their face.

“Malik!” Harry beamed.

Zayn was grinning like a mad man when he pulled away from Harry. Zayn was usually a chill person, but when your best friend gets released from the pen, you feel more inclined to drop whatever chill you might have.

“I hope the system didn’t change you too much,” Zayn teased.

“It did,” Harry said. “but in the best way.”

“I’m glad,” Zayn said, his face softening into a blissful expression.

It was silent for a moment before Cara yelled out, “Hey, Liam!”

In that moment, Harry noticed that there was a man right behind Zayn, looking warily at Harry.

“I, uh, almost forgot,” Zayn said sheepishly, stepping aside so Harry could get a full view of the man. “Harry, this is Liam. My-“

“Lover?” Harry smirked. Zayn’s cheeks reddened at that.

“Yeah,” Zayn answered, a small smile on his face. “My lover.”

Harry was surprised at how coy Zayn was being. Liam held his hand out towards Harry, and Harry gladly shook it.

“It’s nice to finally meet you,” Liam said, his expression warm and friendly. “Zayn always talks about you.”

“Oh really?” Harry drawled, letting go of Liam’s hand. “That’s funny considering that he rarely visited me.”

“Oh fuck off, Styles.” Zayn scoffed. His tone was playful, but his face displayed an expression of genuine guilt.

“I was kidding, Malik,” Harry chuckled, trying to bring the mood back up. “You had your own life to focus on. I understand.”

Zayn smiled. “Thanks, Angelica.”

“You know what? Fuck you, Mr. I can’t be bothered to visit my incarcerated best friend.” Harry snapped.

Zayn, Niall, and Cara laughed while Liam just stood there, looking unsure of what to do with himself.

“Anyway,” Harry drawled. “What are your intentions with my friend, Liam?”

“Be careful how you answer, babe,” Zayn playfully warned. “You’re speaking to an ex-con.”

Liam’s eyes widened before he sputtered out, “I-I only have the best intentions with Zayn. I truly do care about him. I’m not a deadbeat or anything. I work as a teacher, I have good hygiene, I think of myself as a loyal person, I always-“

“Holy shit!” Zayn chuckled just as Harry started to double over in laughter. “Relax, babe, we’re only kidding.”

“He looked like he was about to shit his pants!” Harry wheezed out through his hysteria. Zayn tried his best to tamp down his laughter and glare at Harry in order to spare Liam some dignity, but he just couldn’t.

“As much as I love all of this merriment,” Cara said. “I would love to go inside and drink until I find Niall attractive.”

“Hurtful,” Niall pouted.

When they entered the building, they were met with the sight of a white room that was only inhabited by two burly men, one in a red suit and one in a black suit, who stood right in front of red double doors. Beyond the doors, the sound of music and merriment could be heard.

“Nice to see you again, Zayn.” The man in the red suit greeted, giving him a wink. Liam possessively wrapped an arm around Zayn’s waist. Zayn smirked at that.

“Nice to see you too, Rocco.” Zayn replied.

“Are they with you?” Rocco asked, gesturing towards the small group behind Zayn.

“We came in here together so… obviously.” Cara answered monotonously. Rocco glared at her.

“Cara, maybe it’s best to not start shit with a heavily tattooed behemoth.” Niall whispered to her. Cara just shrugged.

Rocco and the other guy opened the double doors and let the group into the club. Just like always, Zayn didn’t need a membership pass. Harry’s jaw dropped when he saw the space.

The outside of the club was nice but plain, which was to be expected considering that it was a members-only club, but the inside completely exceeded Harry’s expectations.

The walls were sponge painted dark red, the marble flooring was pitch black, there was a big, T shaped stage, the hanging lights above gave off a dim light, and a circular bar was in the middle of the space. The place looked fantastic, far greater than it originally looked.

It looked far better than the average strip club… but it was still a strip club.

Black and white, floor length photos of the dancers in suggestive poses were hung on the walls, Men, and very few women, were going wild for a petite blond that was currently occupying the stage, dancers were giving lap dances to random patrons who looked like money, and bodies were grinding against each other on the dance floor.

Harry was knocked out of his awe when he felt a hand clap his shoulder. He turned his head and smiled when he saw the face of the owner, Martin Knox, a red headed man who couldn’t be any taller than five foot three.

“Well, if it isn’t the ex-con.” Martin said with a grin.

“Well, if it isn’t the leprechaun.” Harry smirked. Martin punched him in the arm, causing Harry to wince. The man was a lot stronger than he looked.

“You think it’s safe to punch an ex-con?” Zayn asked, feigning worry.

“Oh please,” Martin scoffed. “He’s still the same kitten he’s always been.”

Harry stuck his tongue out at Martin. Martin rolled his eyes, but there was no hiding his look of fond.

“I saved you guys a spot,” Martin said. He led the group through crowds of people and then directed them towards an empty booth, it was close to the end of the catwalk.

“Darren’s just about finished with his set,” Martin informed as the group sat down in their booth. “The next guy will be on in about ten minutes. Enjoy your night, Harry.”

“Thanks, Marty.” Harry said. Martin gave Harry a small smile before he placed a hand on Harry’s shoulder.

“It’s good to have you back, kid.” Martin said. He turned around and walked away from the group, leaving them to enjoy their evening.

“I need a drink,” Cara said. “Horny, go get us some drinks.”

Harry slid out of the booth so Niall, who was mumbling something about keeping the ninth grade in the past where it belonged, could slide out. Just as Harry sat back down, Darren finished his set and left the stage, his stockings and boxer briefs filled with money.

“Do any of the old dancers still work here?” Harry asked Zayn.

“Nope.” Zayn answered. “They either quit because they couldn’t get along with the new dancers or were fired.”

“Fired?” Harry grimaced. “Why?”

“Martin got rid of everything and everyone that didn’t fit the vibe of the _new and improved_ Garnet, his words, not mine.” Zayn explained.

“That sucks.” Harry sighed.

“Did you want to see Morgan?” Zayn chuckled.

Harry’s cheeks reddened at that. Morgan, whose stage name was Paris, was Harry’s close friend and favorite dancer. Every time Harry visited Garnet, Morgan always had a dance saved for him in one of the private rooms.

In that moment, Harry remembered the last time he ever saw Morgan, the night before he went to prison.

_The familiar scent of stale cigarettes filled Harry’s nostril as Morgan, who he now had to refer to as Paris, led him into one of the private rooms. Harry’s eyes scanned the room, committing the shag carpeting, chipped paint, and plush couch to memory. Morgan gave Harry’s hand a squeeze and Harry looked at him to see unshed tears misting his eyes._

_Harry gave Morgan a small smile. “You can’t be going soft on me now.”_

_Morgan scoffed before he dragged Harry over to the couch and pushed him down on it. Morgan straddled Harry’s lap and placed a hand on Harry’s chest._

_“I’m not going soft, Styles.” Morgan said._

_“It’s fine if you are, you know.” Harry assured. Morgan bit his lip before he leaned forward and pressed his forehead against Harry’s._

_Morgan gave a deep, wavering sigh. “I don’t want you to go away. I mean, you deserve to, I know, but… I-“_

_Harry cupped Morgan’s cheek and ran his thumb against it. He used his other hand to gently rub up and down Morgan’s back. Morgan grabbed Harry’s wrist, but didn’t pull it away from his cheek._

_“Why’d you have to be so stupid?” Morgan muttered. “Why’d you have to do that. Was it worth it to look cool for one fucking night?”_

_Harry winced at how calm Morgan spoke his harsh words. “It wasn’t about looking cool, Morgan. I-“_

_“God, Harry,” Morgan continued. “You pissed your life away… for what?”_

_Harry was slowly losing his patience. “I came here for a last dance, not to be scolded like a goddamn child. I’m getting enough of that from my parents.”_

_“You obviously need to be scolded since you do childish shit!” Morgan snapped._

_Harry gritted his teeth and patted Morgan’s thighs, signaling him to get off. Morgan rolled his eyes before he got off Harry’s lap and sat beside him._

_“Look, Morgan-“_

_“Paris,”_

_“Paris, I know you’re pissed at me, but-“_

_“Pissed,” Morgan chuckled. “Pissed doesn’t even begin to cover how I feel, Harry.”_

_Morgan got up from the couch and started pacing the room, trying to figure out how to voice what he was feeling._

_“I didn’t piss my life away, Mor- Paris,” Harry said. “It’s only three years.”_

_Morgan stopped pacing and looked at Harry with the most shocked expression he had ever made._

_“Harry,” Morgan began. “It’s prison. Three years. Three months. Three days. It doesn’t matter! I’ve been to prison, Harry, and let me tell you, Society isn’t kind to ex-cons. You can make relationships with people, but once they find out that you served time, they inch away from you until you’re completely gone from their lives. You try to go out there and get a job, but guess what? No one will hire you because you’re an ex-con! It doesn’t matter what you did or how much time you serve, Harry. Prison is prison! Your nineteen years old. Your life was just beginning. I wanted you to graduate college, pick a career that you enjoy doing, and settle down with someone who loves and cares for you, but now…”_

_Morgan paused for a moment before he turned away from Harry. Harry knew Morgan had started crying when his shoulders began to shake. Harry got up from the couch and wrapped his arms around Morgan, letting him sob into his shoulder. After a while, Morgan looked up at Harry, his face red and his eyes bloodshot from all the sobbing, and leaned forward to press his lips against his. Harry was surprised at the sudden kiss. He and Morgan were always affectionate, but they had never shared something so intimate. It didn’t take long before the kiss shifted from sweet to sultry. Their tongues rubbed against each other and Harry caressed every bit of exposed skin Morgan had to offer._

_Morgan pulled away from the kiss. “Harry, take me.”_

_Harry took Morgan right on the plush couch, exploring every inch of Morgan’s skin and memorizing every sound that came from him._

_Harry felt like he could live in that night forever, but of course, that was impossible._

“Harry?”

Harry was knocked out of his memory at the call of his name. He looked up to see Zayn, Cara, and Liam staring warily at him.

“Are you ok?” Cara asked, placing a hand on his shoulder.

“Yeah,” Harry answered. “I’m fine. Zayn, do you know where Morgan moved on to?”

Zayn shrugged. “I don’t know. The last time I heard of him was about six months ago. There were rumors that his sister got sick so he had to go back home to take care of her.”

“That would make sense,” Harry said. “She’s the only family he has and they’re really close.”

Before Zayn could say anything else, Niall came back with the drinks.

“Tie me to the bedpost baby for Zayn, a bottle of New Castle for Liam, a Corona for me, raspberry margarita for Cara, and an A.M.F for our man of the hour!” Niall rattled off as he passed out the drinks.

Harry was just about to thank Niall for remembering one of his favorite drinks when a loud voice caught his attention. He turned his attention to the stage to see a scantily clad blond with a microphone in his hand.

“Would you like to see more?” The man asked in a sultry voice. The entire space lit up with whistles and cheers.

“Damn, you guys are eager,” The man drawled. “Young gun, don’t keep them waiting.”

The man left the stage as the crowd went crazy.

“Who’s young gun?” Harry asked over the loud cheering. “And why is he so popular?”

“He’s a new stripper who just started working here four months ago,” Zayn answered. “And to answer your second question…” Zayn smirked. “You’ll see.”

When the cheering intensified, Harry turned his attention back to the stage and saw… one of the most beautiful men he had ever laid his eyes on.

Young gun was standing on the stage. His stance was submissive but still had a dominant edge to it. He wore a midnight blue corset with black lace covering the breast area, a black mini skirt, a pair of black thigh-highs, and a pair of midnight blue stilettos. The clothing he wore did _phenomenal_ things for his curves. In his hand, he held a flogger that he kept running up and down his thigh.

Young gun’s shocking blue eyes, exaggerated by his eye makeup, scanned the crowd, a pleased smirk playing on his lips. He ran his fingers through his soft, brown locks and didn’t speak until the crowd had calmed down.

“My, my, my,” Young gun drawled, his voice high and raspy. “I’m feeling pretty damn lucky right now.”


	2. Aim (pt. 1)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoy the 2nd chapter, lovelies! I'm grateful for how well the story's doing so far. I didn't expect this many reads and Kudos in a week. It really motivates me to fight my procrastination and get a new chapter out there as quick as I can, so MUCH APPRECIATED. Enjoy the chapter! :D

Whistles and cat calls flooded the entire space. Harry could tell by the look on Young Gun’s face that this was what he thrived on.

“God, this isn’t exactly the most appropriate behavior for people who are considered high class,” Young Gun said, feigning shock. “but then again, this is Garnet. And here, we encourage you to…” Young Gun tugged on the waistband of his skirt, revealing the thong he wore underneath. “leave your morals at the door.”

The things that the bar patrons were yelling out made Harry clench his teeth. He was used to how raunchy and x rated the crowds could get, but this time… it bothered him. And he couldn’t pin point a specific reason why.

“I see a lot of familiar faces,” Young Gun mused, his eyes scanning the crowd. When his eyes finally landed on Harry, the whole world seemed to have stopped spinning. Young Gun bit his lip as he stared at Harry with an unmistakable look of pure desire. “I also see some new faces.”

Harry could feel his face flush. The dancer had only _looked_ at him and he was already putty in his hands.

“I would love to keep talking.” Young Gun smirked. “but I think you all would like it much better if I went ahead and… entertained you. Am I making the right assumption?”

That question was followed by another round of people shouting things that, once again, annoyed Harry to no end.

As if on cue, the music started as soon as the cheers started. Young Gun strutted down the catwalk to the beat of Partition by Beyoncé with a certain confidence that demanded your attention. When he reached the end of it, he gracefully sunk down to his knees and let the music completely take over his body. With every lift of his leg, spread of his thighs, and arch of his back, he flashed the crowd with the skimpy underwear he wore underneath his skirt. The men near the stage were flinging their money at him, coaxing the dancer to give his all. His movements reminded Harry of a cat in heat, begging for some sort of release.

Young gun mouthed along to the song, looking as if he was in genuine ecstasy. He licked his lips and smirked at random people in the audience, running the flogger up and down his body, which was getting coated in a light sheen of sweat. When his eyes locked with Harry’s, his lips, which were red because he was biting them so much, curled into a blissful smile. Harry all of a sudden didn’t know how to breathe. He was slowly falling under Young Gun’s spell with every sway of his hips, every display of his insane flexibility, and every dip of his amazing ass.

Harry’s thoughts were definitely not clean.

As the song neared its end, Young Gun got back on his knees, running a manicured hand through his hair. On the very last note of the song, he slapped the flogger against the stage with a loud _crack_. His expression was impassive and demanded obedience.

“Damn,” Harry sighed, adjusting his fly.

“Damn indeed,” Zayn said, looking as if he too was mesmerized.

“I could do splits too if I hadn’t quit gymnastics when I was a kid.” Liam mumbled.

Zayn scoffed at his boyfriend’s display of jealousy before he gave him a peck on the lips.

“I don’t need you to do splits, babe.” Zayn chuckled. “I would hate to have a professional gymnast as a boyfriend anyway. They’d probably turn sex into a chore, making me get into all these uncomfortable positions and shit.”

Liam just shook his head, looking at his lover with an expression that couldn’t be mistaken for anything else but fond. Harry smiled at them. He never had the chance to properly interrogate Liam, but he no longer felt like he had to.

“H, I couldn’t help but notice Young Gun making eyes at you.” Cara teased, elbowing Harry’s side.

“I noticed that, too,” Niall said. “He barely took his eyes off of you.”

“They’re right, Harry,” Zayn said. “Hot ass took a liking to you.”

“I doubt it,” Harry scoffed. “He’s a stripper. Strippers are the masters of pretending to be into people.”

“Yeah, but strippers are masters of pretending to be into people who _have money_ to give them,” Zayn said. “And you weren’t anywhere near that stage throwing bills at him. You know this. You’re not a rookie. If you were the same person you were three years ago, you’d pick up on Young Gun’s obvious interest in you and ask Martin if you could have a private show.”

“Well, I’m not the same person I used to be.” Harry said. Zayn had picked up on Harry’s annoyed tone at the mention of his past self, and instantly changed the subject.

“Get us more drinks, Niall.” Zayn ordered. Niall, sensing the sudden tension, slid out of the booth.

When Niall returned with the drinks, the tension eased within the group and they fell into conversation. Niall, Cara, and Zayn updated Harry on everything that’s been going on for the past three years. Niall worked as the head chef at a restaurant called _The Surf_ , Zayn was the proud owner of a tattoo shop that was doing pretty well, and Cara had just gotten the lead role of a brand new TV show, this was her big break. Harry was happy for them, he really was, but hearing the fact that their dreams had turned into reality was a reminder that while he was in prison… life went on. Of course he didn’t think that time would freeze or the earth would stop spinning while he was serving his time, but he still felt sad. He wasn’t sad because everyone he grew up with had moved on with their lives, he was sad because he didn’t get to _live_ with them. Niall was a chef, Zayn was a business owner, Cara was an actress, and Harry… was fresh out of prison.

Zayn noticed Harry’s dampened mood and frowned.

“Are you ok, Harry?” Zayn asked.

“Yeah,” Harry answered. “I’m fine.”

Zayn didn’t buy Harry’s answer, and he was about to question him further before his eyes shifted behind Harry and widened.

“What are you-“

“Don’t look,” Zayn hissed. “Hot ass is coming. Be cool!”

“Wait, wha-“

“Hello.”

Harry turned his head to see that the greeting came from Young Gun himself. The smile he gave Harry when their eyes locked was so _effortlessly_ seductive.

Young Gun was now dressed casually in a stone roses tank top, black skinny jeans, and a pair of gray vans. His face was make up free, but Harry still thought he looked breathtaking.

Young Gun bit his lip, taking notice of Harry blatantly checking him out. “Do you guys mind if I join you for a second?”

“Not at all!” Zayn answered before Harry could say anything. “Niall, come sit by Liam and I so Young Gun can cozy up to our man of the hour!”

Harry wanted to choke Zayn out.

Niall slid out of the booth for the third time that night and took a seat on Zayn and Liam’s side of the booth. Young Gun grinned before he took a seat right next to Harry. Harry instantly flushed at how close they were.

“By the way, Young Gun is just for the stage. My name is Louis. Louis Tomlinson.”

“Well then, it’s nice to meet you, Louis.” Zayn beamed. “The tool right next to you is named Harry Styles.”

Louis looked at Harry with a smile on his face. “Hey, Harry.”

“Hey.” Harry breathed. He was completely overwhelmed with how good Louis looked up close. He wasn’t prepared to see how blue Louis’ eyes were. He wasn’t prepared to have a closer look at Louis’ cheekbones, lips, and other angelic facial features. He wasn’t prepared to see the light freckles splayed across his nose. He wasn’t prepared for any of that.

“So, are you guys celebrating anything?” Louis asked the group.

“Harry just got released from prison.” Niall answered.

“Dude!” Cara hissed.

Zayn kicked Niall’s shin under the table, causing Niall to yelp.

Harry sighed and hung his head in shame. He just sat in silence, waiting for Louis to get up and go because he no longer had any interest in the ex-con.

_“You can make relationships with people, but once they find out that you served time, they inch away from you until you’re completely gone from their lives.”_

“What did you go in for?” Louis asked. Harry looked at Louis to see that he didn’t look scared… he looked _intrigued_.

“I’m not sure I wanna share that with some stranger.” Harry answered.

“We can get to know each other, honey.” Louis smirked. Harry’s eyes widened at that. They just stared at each other, not breaking eye contact until Zayn cleared his throat.

“You wanna dance, Li?” Zayn asked.

“Sure,” Liam answered.

Niall slid out of the booth, letting Zayn and Liam get out, and then sat back down. Cara ducked under the table and came back up on the other side of the booth with Niall.

“Let’s dance, Ni!” Cara said.

Before Niall could say anything, Cara pulled him by his ear out to the dancefloor.

“And then there were two,” Louis sighed dramatically. Harry smiled at that.

“Don’t the strippers usually give out lap dances and private shows after their performances?” Harry asked.

“I didn’t feel like doing that tonight.” Louis answered. “I’m missing out on some fair amount of cash but whatever.”

“Why didn’t you feel like it?”

“Headache.”

“From what?”

“I don’t know.”

“Well, did you eat today?”

“Yes.”

“How much?”

“I don’t know, _mom_.”

Harry blushed at that, realizing that he _was_ starting to sound like a worried mother.

“It’s ok, Harry,” Louis said. “I think it’s kind of cute.”

Harry scoffed at that. “I’ve been called many things, but cute isn’t one of them.”

“Ah, so this moment is unprecedented.” Louis grinned. “Harry Styles being referred to as cute.”

Harry smirked before he leaned closer into Louis’ space. “There’s a reason why that is.”

Louis bit his lip. “Tell me the reason, honey.”

“Like I said before, you’re just some stranger.” Harry said.

“Then allow me to get to know you.” Louis said, placing a hand on Harry’s bicep.

Louis’ scent was suffocating Harry in the best way possible. He smelled so sweet, so intoxicatingly _sweet_. Harry leaned closer and ran his nose up Louis’ neck, causing Louis to shiver.

“I feel like I can have so much fun with you.” Louis murmured, placing his unoccupied hand on the back of Harry’s neck.

“What kind of fun?” Harry asked skeptically.

“The kind of fun that got you locked up.” Louis answered.

Harry flinched away from Louis as if he had shocked him.

“I think you need to lea-“

“I know all about you,” Louis said, his breathing ragged and his pupils dilated from Harry’s moment of weakness. “I know why you did time, I know that you’ve made quite a few enemies,” Harry winced at that. “and I know that people _fear_ you.”

“What do you mean?”

“Look around.”

Harry looked around the club and instantly knew what Louis was talking about. People were staring at him with looks of awe and fear, but mostly fear. Most of those people looked away as soon as Harry locked eyes with them.

The scrutiny didn’t make Harry feel powerful or smug like it used to. It made him feel like the lowest of the low. His history and his reputation was nothing he could escape from.

“The infamous Harry Styles,” Louis chuckled, picking up Harry’s drink and taking a sip of it. “You live life by your own rules and your name can cause well established men to turn pale.”

“I’ve changed,” Harry said. “I’m not the same guy I was three years ago.”

Louis laughed. “Let me guess. Spending time in the big house was a huge wake up call for you. You’ve decided to turn over a new leaf and be a good little member of society.”

“What’s wrong with that?” Harry sneered.

“Nothing,” Louis answered. “It’s just boring.”

“Boring keeps you out of prison.”

“One has to get caught doing something wrong in order to go to prison.”

“And you’ve never gotten caught doing anything wrong?”

“I’m careful.”

“I was careful, you know.”

“Oh you were _not_ careful.”

“Excuse me?”

Louis didn’t say anything. He just polished off Harry’s drink and slumped back into the booth.

“You are one powerful man,” Louis said. “and I love powerful men.”

Harry raised an eyebrow at that. “If you’re looking for power, you might wanna hit up one of these rich dudes.”

Louis scoffed. “Hit up one of these guys who are looking at _you_ in fear? Look, honey, you may not have the power of money, but you practically run these streets. As far as everyone knows, this is your territory. This is where you reign.”

“You’re making me sound like I’m some sort of king.” Harry chuckled. “and look, babe, these people are scared of the legend they’ve made up in their heads, not me.”

“I believe you and I both know that you measure up pretty nicely to the legend.” Louis smirked.

“I think you should leave.” Harry rushed out.

Louis leaned forward and brushed his lips against the shell of Harry’s ear. “Do you really want me to go, honey?”

Harry’s lips were pressed together and his fists were clenched. There were things he wanted to say and do, but those things would only send him down a road he was trying desperately to avoid.

“Yes,” Harry forced out. “Leave.”

Louis’ smirk was still plastered on his face as he pulled away. He wasn’t the slightest bit perturbed. He knew that he had had Harry right where he wanted him.

“If you say so." Louis said before he slid out of the booth.

As Harry shamelessly stared at Louis’ ass as he walked away, he instantly tried to eject him from his mind.

Unfortunately for Harry, a person like Louis Tomlinson wasn’t someone you could easily forget.

~

When Harry woke up the next morning, he half expected to be staring up at the bottom of his cell mate’s top bunk. Instead, he saw the spinning blades of the ceiling fan. He knew it would take a while before his brain could fully process that he was out of the pen.

Harry got up from the pull out couch and went into the kitchen to make breakfast. Niall entered the kitchen just as Harry was finishing up the bacon, scrambled eggs, and toast.

“I missed having you in the kitchen.” Niall said, patting Harry’s ass on his way to the table.

“I don’t exist to serve you, jackass.” Harry replied, feigning annoyance.

“Sure you don’t.” Niall drawled as he sat down. “Feed me, servant.”

“Enjoy!” Harry grinned as he tossed Niall a burnt piece of toast.

Niall shrugged and took a bite out of the toast. Harry rolled his eyes, grabbing two plates from the cabinet and filling them with food. After he and Niall ate their breakfast in comfortable silence, Harry got up and left the kitchen

“Since I made the food, you clean up the mess.” Harry said, heading towards Niall’s room.

Harry raided Niall’s closet for clothes before he took a shower and got dressed. He was going out to see someone he hadn’t seen in a long time.

“I’ll be back, Ni!” Harry shouted as he left the apartment.

Harry walked four blocks in the hot Sacramento sun to a place that had always felt like home to him. The Orchard.

The Orchard was a restaurant that only served apple based food. Anyone could order anything from apple fritters to chicken breasts with an apple chutney to apple pie. Whatever apple based food anyone can think of was most likely on The Orchard's menu. The place looked like an average diner and always smelled like baked apples.

Harry sat at the counter and waited until a familiar looking lady was done with a customer. As soon as she was, she walked back to the counter and gasped when she saw Harry.

Harry smiled. “Hey, Heidi.”

Heidi was silent for a moment before she squealed and ran to Harry, crushing him into a hug when she got to him.

“Oh my sweet cinnamon apple!” She shouted. “You’re home!”

Heidi was the owner of the restaurant. She also functioned as Harry’s barber.

“You need a trim,” Heidi said as she pulled back from the embrace. “You’re starting to look like Tarzan.”

“Maybe that’s what I was going for.” Harry said, running his fingers through his hair.

“Sure you were,” Heidi giggled. “You can come over to my place on Wednesday. I won’t cut off much, just an inch or so.”

Harry missed Heidi’s haircuts.

“You want some baked apples?” Heidi asked.

Harry grinned and nodded vigorously. Heidi patted him on the head and went inside the kitchen. Harry turned around in his seat and placed his elbows on the counter, waiting for her to return with his favorite dessert.

“Fancy seeing you here.”

Harry wished with all of his might that he was just hearing things, but unfortunately for him, he wasn’t.

“Hey, I’m talking to you.”

Harry turned his head, still hoping that he was just hearing things, and came face to face with Louis, who was wearing a uniform that all the waiters in The Orchard had to wear.

“You work here, too?” Harry asked.

“Gotta hustle, honey.” Louis beamed.

At that moment, Heidi came back out with a plate of steaming baked apples drizzled in a cinnamon glaze.

“I see that you’re getting acquainted with my best worker.” Heidi grinned, setting the plate down in front of Harry. Harry instantly started digging into the food.

“I’d tell you to stop, but I’m a slut for compliments.” Louis said.

“Oh believe me, I’ve noticed.” Heidi giggled.

“How long have you worked here?” Harry asked.

“Just about three months.” Louis answered.

“And you’re already Heidi’s favorite,” Harry said. “That’s quite an accomplishment.”

Heidi was a sweet person, but she could be a _harsh_ boss sometimes.

“What can I say, he has a way with the customers.” Heidi said.

“It’s the charm, my dear.” Louis said, batting his eyelashes.

“How do you two know each other?” Heidi asked.

Harry was about to answer, but then he stopped himself. He wasn’t sure if Heidi knew that Louis worked at Garnet. He knew that most dancers preferred to keep the fact that they worked at a strip club a secret. Louis looked at Harry and gave him a warm smile, slightly touched at how thoughtful he was being.

“Don’t worry, she knows.” Louis said. “Harry and I met when he came to Garnet.”

“Oh, walking around your old stomping ground?” Heidi questioned, raising an eyebrow.

“Just for a few drinks.” Harry replied.

“He was a good boy, Heidi,” Louis smirked. “Don’t worry.”

Heidi gave them a smile before she left to go tend to some costumers.

“Just the two of us once again.” Louis said, taking Harry’s fork out of his hand and helping himself to some apples. “God, can your mouth orgasm? Because I’m pretty sure that’s what’s happening right now.”

Harry laughed. “Heidi is pretty fucking amazing in the kitchen.”

“That’s an understatement, she’s the ruler of the kitchen.”

“The overlord of the oven.”

“The supreme ruler of the stove.”

“The queen of cuisine.”

Louis laughed. “I think you got me beat.”

“I’m a master of rhyming, babe.” Harry said with a wink.

For a while, they sat together in comfortable silence, passing the fork back and forth to share the bowl of apples. Louis could’ve gotten another fork, there were a lot of plastic ones just behind the counter, but they didn’t mind sharing one.

“So, do you wanna go out tomorrow?” Louis suddenly asked.

Harry stopped eating and gave a deep sigh. He couldn’t get involved with Louis, he just couldn’t. Louis would only lead him down a path that he didn’t want to be on.

“Look, Louis, I think you’re…” Harry eyed Louis’ figure and bit his lip. “ _Very_ attractive. And there’s something electric between us. I feel it and I know that you can feel it too. There’s no denying that. But I’m not doing this with you.”

“Doing what?” Louis asked, feigning innocence. “I just wanna go on a little outing. What’s the harm?”

“Louis,” Harry said, his voice getting deeper. He could’ve sworn that he saw Louis’ pupils dilate. “You’re just looking for a good time, babe, and I’m afraid that I can’t give you that.”

Louis bit his lip and leaned closer to Harry. “Oh, _honey_ ,” Harry shivered at that. “You can’t keep up this good boy act for long.”

“It isn’t an act.” Harry insisted, his voice wavering.

Louis chuckled. “I want you, Harry. I want the _real_ you.” Harry gritted his teeth when Louis ran his tongue up the length of his neck and nibbled on his earlobe. “And I always get what I want. _Always_."

Louis pulled away from Harry, got down from his seat, and wandered off to take care of the costumers in his section.

Harry stared after him, his body trembling and flooding with pure want.


	3. Aim (pt. 2)

The past three weeks were probably the most irritating three weeks of Harry’s life, and that’s saying a lot. He was more than ready to start over, he was more than ready to move on from his past. The issue? Society wouldn’t let him move on. Trying to find a job had left him fucking exhausted. No matter where he went, he kept on hearing the same responses.

_“You seem like a nice guy, but given your history, we don’t feel comfortable hiring you.”_

_“You have quite the reputation around town.”_

_“We don’t hire thugs.”_

It was all the same and Harry was growing sick of it. He was still determined to change, but right now, he needed to relieve all of his pent-up stress. He needed a distraction, a _good_ distraction.

Harry's need for a distraction is how his dumb ass ended up back at Garnet. He was sipping his drink as he watched Louis give a lap dance to a random man in the VIP area. There was a rule that you couldn’t touch the dancers, but the man didn’t seem to care about that. Louis was practically _encouraging_ the man to run his hands all over his body. Harry could see the cherry lollipop that was in Louis' mouth every time he gasped in pure ecstasy.

Louis knew Harry was there. The two of them had made eye contact a few times that night. However, that didn’t stop Louis from making his rounds, going from rich man to rich man and seducing every dollar out of their wallets.

After Louis was done with the random man, he got up and walked over to Harry’s booth, wearing nothing but his dark blue hot pants.

“I haven’t seen you in a while, honey,” Louis grinned. “What brings you here?”

“Had a shitty few weeks.” Harry answered bluntly.

Louis frowned at that. “What happened?”

“No one wants anything to do with an ex-con.”

“Our flawless, law-abiding citizens give the finger to ex-cons?” Louis asked, feigning shock. “Wow, I am so surprised.”

“Don’t be an ass.” Harry sneered.

“Why are you here?” Louis asked, momentarily taking his candy out of his mouth. “I understand that you’ve had a rough few weeks, but why would that drive you to come here?”

Harry glared at Louis. He knew that Louis knew _exactly_ why he was there.

“I just need a distraction,” Harry answered. “Just one, and then I’ll go back to pretending you don’t exist.”

“My god,” Louis scoffed. “Do you really think it’ll be that easy?” He sat next to Harry and placed his candy back in between his lips. “Men never stop after one night with me, honey. They always come back for more.”

Harry raised a brow at that. “If you really know all about me, then you know that fucking and leaving is one of the things I do best.”

Louis gave a sweet smile. “That’s because you fuck with rookies.”

“And you’re no rookie.” Harry more stated than asked.

“Far from it,” Louis replied. “You’re being a little too vague for my liking. I like my men to be straight up about what they want.

Harry bit his lip. “I’d love to have a taste of your candy.”

Louis took the candy out of his mouth and held it out towards Harry. “Then take it.”

Harry smirked. “Not like that, babe.”

Before Louis could say anything else, Harry pushed him forward by the back of his neck and crashed their lips together. Harry wasted no time in forcing his tongue in Louis’ cherry flavored mouth. Louis grabbed a hold of Harry’s curls, moaning at the feeling of their tongues rubbing against each other. After a moment, Harry forced himself to pull back from the kiss only to connect his lips to Louis’ neck. He was addicted. Louis was addicting. Harry bit and sucked marks and bruises into Louis’ neck, collarbones, and jaw.

“H-Harry.” Louis breathed.

Still latched on to Louis’ neck, Harry began to palm Louis through his shorts. Louis panted as he started to grind into Harry’s firm touch. Just as Louis was about to make a mess of his shorts, Harry pulled his hand away.

“Wh-What do you think y-you’re doing?” Louis asked, slightly hysterical.

Harry leaned in and brushed his lips against Louis’ ear. “I’d rather be the only person to see your face when I make you come.”

Harry pulled away from Louis and casually drained the rest of his drink. Louis looked like he was on the verge of a breakdown. Harry almost laughed at that.

“I’m pretty sure there’s a private room available.” Louis said.

~

“F-Fuck,” Louis panted.

Louis was laying across Harry’s lap and had three of Harry’s lubed up fingers pumping in and out of his tight hole. High and broken whimpers kept leaving Louis’ lips, his skin was hot to the touch, and he was rocking his hips against Harry’s thigh.

“Enjoying yourself?” Harry asked.

Louis didn’t have the ability to answer. The feeling of long, expert fingers assaulting his prostate had made him an incoherent mess. He started to whine when those fingers suddenly stopped moving.

“I asked you a question.” Harry said, his voice low and raspy.

“Y-yes,” Louis answered. “I’m enjoying myself.”

Harry bit his lip and resumed thrusting his fingers in and out of Louis. Louis’ mouth hung open and his toes curled when Harry stilled his fingers to rub at Louis’ prostate.

“You’ve turned into such a sweet little thing,” Harry said, slightly mesmerized. “Look at you, falling apart because of a few fingers.”

Louis scoffed. “You say that like – _ah, fuck_ – it isn’t just feeding y-your ego right now.”

“I hope you know that this is only a one-time thing, babe.” Harry reiterated for the fifth time that night. “I’m basically just using you to get my mind off things.”

Louis was about to respond to that, but he couldn’t get his words out when Harry used his other hand to start playing with his nipples.

“Sensitive?” Harry asked, giving one of Louis' nipples a harsh tug.

“ _Ah_ , you bastard,” Louis whined. “I a-appreciate your honesty – _Oh, Christ_ – but it doesn’t scare me. Do you honestly think you can stop at one time with me?”

“Don’t flatter yourself,” Harry chuckled, slipping his fingers out of Louis. “This may be a shock, but I’ve been with plenty of people just like you. You're just another twink who thinks he can wrap me around his finger, but that’s just not how it’s gonna work, babe.”

Louis sat up and straddled Harry’s lap.

“There’s _no one_ quite like me, honey,” Louis said, his tone slightly bitter. “There’s a lot of people outside that door who would love to be you right now.”

Harry smirked. “And there’s a lot of people in California who would _kill_ to be _you_ right now.”

Louis wordlessly unzipped Harry’s fly and reached inside his briefs to pull his cock out. Louis bit his lip as he ran his finger along the prominent vein on the underside of it. Harry placed his hand over Louis’ and guided it in stroking Harry’s cock.

“Have to guide you in everything,” Harry said. “Looks like I’m fucking with a _rookie_.”

Something seemed to snap inside of Louis. He gracefully got down on the carpeted floor, wrapped his lips around the head of Harry’s cock, and swallowed the entire thing with just a few bobs of his head.

“Fuck.” Harry gasped, burying his fingers in Louis’ hair.

Louis would’ve laughed if his mouth wasn’t occupied. He was more than happy to finally shut Harry up, to render him speechless. Louis bobbed his head with a sort of eagerness he never had before, gagging every time Harry’s cock hit the back of his throat. Harry couldn’t help but to thrust into Louis’ mouth, loving the wet heat that was encompassing him. After a while, Louis took his mouth off Harry’s cock, now only connected to it by a string of saliva and pre-come, and looked up at Harry. Louis’ eyes were watery, his cheeks were flushed, his hair was messy, and his thin lips were now red and slightly swollen.

“Don’t you ever call me a rookie, _honey_.” Louis said, his voice raspy.

Harry looked at Louis with an unreadable expression as he slumped back into the couch. “Ride me.”

Louis climbed back on top of Harry and straddled his lap. He tugged at Harry’s shirt, signaling that he wanted it off. Harry fondly rolled his eyes before he took his shirt off and threw it somewhere on the ground.  Louis bit his lip as he ran his hands up and down Harry’s toned torso and soft love handles. Louis lifted up, catching the head of Harry’s cock on his rim, and slowly sunk down until he was fully seated on it. Louis was trembling as he started bouncing up and down Harry’s cock. Harry’s fingers were digging into Louis’ waist as he just laid there and took what Louis was giving him.

“Enjoying yourself?” Louis asked. His tone was cocky, but his expression was so blissful and out of it.

“You’re going a little too slow for my liking.” Harry answered. Truthfully, he was enjoying every second of Louis’ tight heat slowly bringing him to an orgasm, but he didn’t want Louis to be a smug bastard. That was Harry’s job.

Louis knew that Harry was lying, but he still held onto Harry’s shoulders and started going at a faster pace.

“Like this?” Louis panted. “Is this good enough for you?”

Harry’s head lolled back and his mouth hung open. It was enough. It was more than enough.

“I’ll take that as a yes,” Louis chuckled. “You feel so good, honey. You feel so fucking good.”

Harry’s hands slid from Louis’ waist to Louis’ ass. He pushed Louis forward, causing him to fall on his chest, and frantically started to thrust up into him. Louis stayed still, too lost in the pleasure of Harry hitting his prostate to do anything.

“You feel good, too, babe,” Harry whispered in Louis ear. “Love the way you feel around me. Love the sounds I can pull from you.”

Harry stopped his movements only to guide Louis in grinding forward, making Harry’s cock a constant pressure on Louis’ prostate. Louis couldn’t breathe.

“I’m gonna come,” Louis managed to choke out. “Need to come.”

Harry grasped Louis’ cock and started to jerk him off. It wasn’t long before Louis came as he gasped out, “ _Oh, honey_.”

Harry instantly moved Louis off of him.

“What are you doing?” Louis asked, completely blissed out. “Don’t you wanna-“

“On the floor.” Harry ordered.

Louis blushed, knowing exactly what Harry had in mind, and got down on his knees in front of him. Harry stood up, grabbed Louis by his hair, and started to stroke his own cock. It wasn’t long before Louis’ face was painted with Harry’s release.

Harry looked down at Louis, looking slightly amazed at how wrecked and _owned_ he looked. Louis looked up at Harry through his lashes, and started to wipe the come off his face only to lick it off his fingers. Louis closed his eyes and moaned as if he was licking icing off a cake.

“Thank you, honey.” Louis whispered.

~

“So, uh, Harry… rent is due next week.” Niall said nervously.

Harry and Niall were playing Smash Bros and sharing a bag of Chex Mix in the living room.

Harry sighed. “I know, Niall, I know.”

“Look, man, I can pull a few strings to get you a job at The Surf,” Niall offered. “And you know Heidi will give you a job at her place if you just ask.”

“I don’t want any handouts,” Harry said. “I want to get a job because I earned it, not because I have friends who I can leech off of.”

Niall shook his head at that. “Ok, Harry.”

They played their game in tense silence for a moment before Niall spoke up. “I think you should stay away from Louis.”

“What makes you think that?” Harry asked, not taking his eyes off the TV.

“That dude is obviously just trying to use you for a good time,” Niall said. “Not good to get wrapped up in a guy like that when you’re trying to change.”

“Jesus, you’re starting to sound like my mom,” Harry grimaced. “Don’t worry, I’m keeping my distance.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

Technically, that wasn’t a lie. Harry hadn’t seen Louis since they first hooked up, but he had been texting him. It wasn’t anything too scandalous, just a few flirty or seductive messages. To Harry, it was completely harmless.

“I’m on you because I care about you,” Niall said, pausing the game. “It may be annoying, but I just want you to get on the right path, Harry. When you first got out, I was kinda looking forward to doing the same shit we used to do, which was wrong. You deserve a second chance at life, Harry. You truly do. Don’t let a nice piece of ass blind you from what you need to do.”

Harry snorted. “Nice piece of ass?”

Niall laughed. “What? He’s an attractive dude. He’s also an attractive dude who can get you in a lot of trouble, so steer clear.”

“Alright, mother dearest.” Harry said in a posh tone.

Niall fondly rolled his eyes and unpaused the game.

~

**Louis: When are u gonna fuck me again?**

**Harry: Told u it was a one time thing, babe.**

**Louis: Don’t make me beg. I want to feel you again.**

**Louis: If I think about it hard enough, I can feel ur cock just ruining me.**

**Louis: I want u so bad. Every time I touch myself, I think of that night.**

**Harry: Stop it.**

**Louis: I feel so hot. I need you so bad. I need you to fuck me. I need u to reduce me to a whimpering slut just begging for ur cock.**

 

Harry put down his phone after that. He was determined to not go back to Louis.

~

“Harry, _ah_ , m-more.”

Harry was a weak man. He had Louis bent over one of the vanities in Garnet’s dressing room, fucking him as if his life depended on it.

“Just desperate for it, aren’t you?” Harry growled, digging his fingers into Louis’ waist.

Louis harshly bit his lip. “Haven’t had you in – _fuck, right there_ – a couple of weeks. I love how you feel. Love how you – _God_!”

Louis cut himself off when he started to come.

~

After Harry and Louis were done… _cleaning up their mess_ , Harry decided to walk Louis back to his place. It was only a ten-minute walk from Garnet.

They walked side by side in comfortable silence, completely surrounded by Sacramento night life. Halfway through their journey, Louis wordlessly laced his fingers through Harry’s and gave his hand a squeeze. Harry looked at Louis in slight confusion, but Louis didn’t look back. He just kept his eyes forward with an unreadable expression on his face.

They were a couple of feet away from Louis’ building when they heard a shout of Louis’ name.

Louis rolled his eyes and groaned. “God, I hate this douchebag.”

Harry frowned before he stopped and turned to see where the shout had come from. A slightly attractive looking man, who couldn’t be any older than thirty, was sat on the steps of a building right beside Louis’ apartment. He was looking right at Louis with a smug expression, but it was instantly wiped off his face when he laid his eyes on Harry.

“Did you want something?” Harry asked, his tone having a certain bite to it.

“N-No, I didn’t want anything,” The man answered. “Have a good night. Sorry for bothering you.”

“I kinda wanna hear what you were about to say to Louis.” Harry said, enjoying the way the man was squirming under his scrutiny. He used to love making people feel intimidated with just a simple look in their general direction. He thrived off it.

“I don’t want any trouble,” The man said. “Just… I’m sorry for disturbing you guys.”

“Aw, why are you being so shy, Al?” Louis asked with a mischievous smirk on his face. “You're normally so confident. Don’t you wanna touch my ass? Take me inside your place and screw me?”

Harry gave a humorless laugh that somehow made Al even paler. “Is that the kind of shit you say to him, Al?”

“I’m sorry, Harry,” Al said. “I didn’t know he was your… I’m sorry.”

Harry scoffed. “Don’t apologize to me, apologize to Louis.”

“I’m sorry, Louis.” Al rushed out. “I truly am.”

“Did that sound sincere to you, babe?” Harry asked Louis. “If it didn't, I can and _will_ get a good apology out of him.”

Al furiously shook his head, looking as if he was about to have a heart attack, and stared pleadingly at Louis.

Louis pretended to think for a moment, making a show out of humming thoughtfully and tapping a finger against his cheek. Al looked like he was about to piss himself, so Louis decided to take pity on him.

“It’ll do.” Louis answered.

“You’re lucky my boy is a nice person, Al,” Harry said. “but i'm not. If you ever say anything to him, anything at all, I will fuck you up. That’s not a threat, that’s a promise to God. You understand?”

“Yes, Harry.” Al whispered, his voice wavering.

Louis couldn’t stop grinning.

~

“Harry, just take the damn job.”

“No.”

“Niall can’t keep covering your part of the rent.”

“I know that.”

“Harry-“

“No!”

“Swallow your fucking pride and take the fucking job!”

Harry, Zayn, Liam, and Cara were having a chill afternoon in Cara’s living room, until Zayn brought up the fact that Niall had been complaining about Harry not finding a job yet. The two quickly got into a very heated argument. Zayn was trying to get Harry to take a job at The Surf or The Orchard, but Harry was much too proud to do that.

The argument was getting way too heated for Cara, so she spoke up. “Harry, you’re not a leech for accepting help. You-"

“I’m not taking handouts.” Harry interrupted.

“God, you’re _impossible_!” Zayn shouted, leaving the room.

“Harry?”

Harry was genuinely shocked to hear Liam say his name. “What?”

“I understand exactly how you feel,” Liam began. “When I was about fourteen, I was homeless for reasons that I don’t feel comfortable saying. I was on my own and much too proud to accept help from anyone. I didn’t accept food, money, or anything else. I wanted to earn all of that by myself. It took me passing out from starvation in a dark alley, and being nursed back to health by a kind old woman, to realize that accepting help isn’t weak. No one makes it on their own, Harry. Every person, no matter who they are, has needed help at some point in their life.”

Harry thought about what Liam had said long after he left Cara’s house. Hell, he went to bed with Liam’s words still echoing through his mind. However, his brain still recoiled at the thought of accepting handouts. He understood what Liam had said, he really did, but he was still too damn stubborn to allow his friends to hook him up with a job.

Harry needed a way to make money, and he needed it quick.

~

Harry was standing outside of a house he had hoped to never see again. He closed his eyes and gave a deep breath before he knocked on the door. He heard a lot of shuffling before the door swung open, revealing a familiar face.

“Holy shit,” Victor chuckled. “They really did let you out.”

Harry didn’t answer him. He just reached inside his jacket pocket and pulled out a brown paper bag.

He flashed the bag to Victor and grinned. “Got you a treat.”

Victor raised a brow at that and grabbed the bag out of Harry’s hands. He opened it and smiled when he saw what was in it.

“Allow me to get my wallet.” Victor said, grinning at Harry. “Welcome back, Styles.”


	4. Fire

Harry’s boy. Ever since the Al incident, that was the name people had been using when referring to Louis. Harry’s boy.

Louis _loved_ being Harry’s boy. No one dared to mess with him, people moved out of his way quicker, he had people offering to do favors for him, even favors that weren’t exactly _legal_ , and his costumers at Garnet weren’t being as handsy as they used to be. Louis acted like he enjoyed the complete disregard those rich twats had for the _no touching_ rule, but that was only because it got him more money.

Louis was Harry’s boy. Unattainable and feared.

While Louis was finishing up his shift at The Orchard, Heidi approached him with a grim look on her face.

“What’s up?” Louis asked, his eyebrows furrowed.

“I, uh, heard about what happened with Al last week.” Heidi answered.

Louis grinned. “You should’ve been there, Heidi! Al was about to say something really disgusting and then Harry stepped in and showed him-“

“Stay away from Harry.” Heidi interrupted.

Louis was taken aback. “What?”

Heidi sighed. “Louis, I love you but I know how you are. You don’t want anything from Harry but an adventure, which is something he can't provide you with. He’s trying to change and you’re gonna get in the way of that. I just know it.”

Louis grimaced. “Who the fuck do you think you are? You can’t just tell me how to run my life.”

Heidi glared at Louis. “This isn’t about you. I’m trying to protect Harry.”

“From what?” Louis scoffed. “He’s a grown ass man and he doesn’t need your protection.”

“Louis-“

“My shift is over,” Louis said, placing his rag down on the counter. “Goodnight, _boss_.”

Louis turned around and stormed away from Heidi, feeling so pissed that his whole body was shaking.

~

Harry and Louis were laying on Louis’ bed in post coital bliss. The air was thick with the smell of sex and weed. They were smoking joints that Harry had brought with him.

“I love having a man who can bring me an _entire bag_ full of this shit.” Louis said, exhaling smoke.

Harry chuckled, running his hand up and down Louis’ bare ass. “That all you want me for?”

“No,” Louis said. “The sex is good, too.”

Harry threw his head back and laughed, completely out of it. His eyes were glazed over, his lips were red, and his naked skin was flushed. After his fit of laughter had subsided, he pushed Louis on his back, coerced him to open his mouth, took a hit of his blunt, and leaned down to exhale the smoke through Louis' parted lips. Louis closed his eyes and leaned his head up to catch Harry’s lips in a kiss. Harry covered Louis’ entire body with his and plunged his tongue into Louis’ mouth. Louis could barely breathe. The feeling of being high and having Harry’s tongue rubbing against his was overwhelming him. Harry spread Louis’ legs and, without any warning, shoved his cock back inside of him. Louis’ eyes rolled back and he broke the kiss when his head lolled to the side, prompting Harry to start attacking his neck with his lips.

“I wasn’t lying about the sex, honey.” Louis whimpered as Harry started thrusting in and out of him

Harry chuckled. “Didn’t think you were.”

Five rounds of fucking and multiple joints later, Harry and Louis got dressed and left the apartment to get something to eat.

“Restaurant or convenience store?” Harry asked.

“Hmm, aren’t we too fucked to go to a restaurant?” Louis giggled.

Harry laughed. “Nah.”

“What do you feel like eating?” Louis asked.

“Burgers,” Harry answered. “Oh! Let’s go to In N Out.”

Louis pouted. “That’s too far a walk.”

Harry smirked. “Let’s get a ride then.

“Cab?”

“No.”

“Bus?”

“Nope.”

“…Uber?”

“Negative.”

“What the fuck else is there?”

Harry grinned as he took Louis’ hand and started running. Louis struggled to keep up since his legs weren’t as long as Harry’s.

“Where are we going?” Louis laughed.

Harry didn’t answer. He just kept running until he and Louis were near the entrance of a hotel parking lot.

“I’ll be right back.” Harry said before he ran off.

Louis stood there for about ten minutes before a navy-blue sports car with tinted windows pulled up right next to him. The passenger side window rolled down, revealing Harry in the driver’s seat.

Louis’ eyes widened. “Harry? Where the fuck did you get this?”

“Don’t worry about that,” Harry said. “Get in.”

Louis grinned like a child as he opened the door and got in the expensive looking car. Harry watched him as he marveled at the impressive interior.

“Ready to eat?” Harry asked.

“Fuck yeah,” Louis answered, still in awe of how badass the car looked. “When we’re finished eating, let’s take this baby far out and see what it can do.”

~

“This is better than sex!” Louis shouted at the top of his lungs.

Harry laughed at that before he sped up the car and took a sharp turn, causing Louis to laugh in pure excitement and joy.

After Harry and Louis finished eating, Harry drove them out to a deserted area so that they could have a little fun with the sports car. Harry was doing donuts and driving as fast as the car could go, which entertained the hell out of Louis.

“Harry, again!” Louis giggled.

Harry smiled as he brought the car to a lower speed, sharply turned the wheel, and then floored the accelerator, causing the car to start spinning. Louis yelled out and held onto the dashboard, grinning so hard at Harry that his cheeks were starting to hurt. Harry’s heart warmed at that. They rode the car until the sun had started to set.

Harry got out of the car and Louis followed, giggling excitedly.

“Just… _wow_ ,” Louis said. “Fuck, that was fun.”

Harry approached the front of the car and sat on top of the hood. Louis joined him. Harry wrapped his arm around Louis and held him close. They sat in silence, watching the sun slowly disappear below the horizon.

“I really enjoyed today.” Louis said.

Harry squeezed Louis’ shoulder. “Me too.”

Louis sighed. “Honey, I want you to promise me something.”

“Sure, what is it?” Harry asked, suddenly worried at how somber Louis sounded.

Louis placed a hand on Harry’s cheek and gave him a small peck on the lips. “Don’t ever let anyone tear us apart.”

“I’d never do that,” Harry said sincerely, turning his head to kiss Louis’ palm. “Why would you want me to promise that? Did someone say something to you? I swear to God, Louis, I’ll-“

“It’s nothing,” Louis interrupted. “I just… I have fun with you and I love the way you make me feel, not just physically, emotionally, too. You make me so happy and I don’t wanna lose you.”

“Never,” Harry whispered, shaking his head. “You’ll never lose me.”

“How do you know?” Louis asked.

Harry smiled softly at Louis. “Because I’m yours and you’re mine.”

~

After Harry returned the car back to its original place, he and Louis went back to Louis’ apartment. They laid in Louis’ bed for hours, talking about everything and nothing. Harry loved Louis’ seductive side, but he was _obsessed_ with Louis’ soft and childish side.

It was midnight when Louis fell asleep, his head resting on Harry’s chest. Harry ran his fingers through Louis’ hair, endeared by his light snoring. He was just staring at Louis and lightly massaging his scalp until his phone started to buzz. He checked it to see a text from Niall.

 

**Niall: Where are you?**

**Harry: Hanging with a friend. Why?**

**Niall: Is the ‘friend’ Louis?**

**Harry: NOYGDB**

**Niall: ???**

**Harry: None Of Your God Damn Business**

**Niall: -.- How mature.**

**Niall: I thought I told you to stay away from Louis.**

**Harry: Wasn't aware that you were Jesus.**

**Niall: He’s bad news. I’m just trying to protect you.**

**Harry: Don’t need your protection. Goodnight.**

 

Harry turned his phone off and placed it on the nightstand. It wasn’t long before he drifted off to sleep, his arms wrapped around Louis.

~

“How much do I owe?”

“120”

“Um… shit, I’m 50 dollars short.”

Harry rolled his eyes and began walking away, stuffing the bag back into his pocket.

“Wait!”

Harry looked back at Lily, his latest costumer, and sighed. “No money, no merchandise.”

“Please,” Lily said, her voice wavering. “I-It’s been so long. I feel like I’m losing my mind. I-I can pay for it in other ways.”

“I don’t accept sexual favors as payment.” Harry grimaced.

Lily walked up to Harry, attempting to sensually bite her lip, and started rubbing her hand up and down Harry’s bicep.

“Are you sure?” She asked. She was trying to make her voice high and breathy, but it ended up sounding gravelly.

Harry backed away from Lily’s touch. “Yeah. Never have never will.”

“Harry, come on.” Lily chuckled, licking her chapped lips. “Can’t you just cut me a little slack?”

“I’m afraid that’s not how I operate.” Harry said, turning back around.

“Harry, please!” Lily pleaded. Harry just kept on walking, acting as if he couldn’t hear her.

“Harry!” Lily shrieked. “Harry, come back here! Don’t ignore me! Harry!”

~

“What the fuck, Harry!”

Harry was playing Smash Bros with Niall when Zayn started shouting at him. Harry turned around and his skin paled. Zayn was clutching a paper bag filled with illegal substances that Harry planned on selling later that evening.

“Were you going through my things?” Harry asked, glaring at Zayn.

“Don’t you fucking _dare_ turn this around on me!” Zayn spat. “What happened to you turning over a new leaf? What happened to you being a changed man? Have you learned _nothing_ , Harry?”

Harry stood up and fixed Zayn with a harsh glare. “Stop talking to me like I’m a damn child.”

“Stop _acting_ like a damn child!” Zayn shouted.

“Jesus Christ, I don’t need this shit!” Harry shouted back, heading towards the door.

“Where are you going?” Niall asked warily.

“Out.” Harry answered as he slipped on his shoes. He stormed out of the apartment, making sure to slam the door as he went.

“I don’t care if you go back to jail!” Zayn shouted after him. “We’ll be out here, living our lives, while you’re rotting in a cell!”

~

Nowadays Harry practically lived with Louis. He rarely ever slept over at Niall’s place. He and Louis had their own little routine. Wake up, have sex, eat breakfast, go to their individual jobs, meet back up, go back to Louis’ place, have sex, get high, eat dinner, have sex, get high, go to sleep.

Harry and Louis were watching TV in the living room when Louis slid a cool, metal object in Harry’s hand. Harry looked down and was shocked to see that the object was a key.

“Is this what I think it is?” Harry asked in disbelief.

Louis shrugged, not taking his eyes off the TV. “You practically live here. Figured you’d want your own key.”

Harry grinned and started attacking Louis with open mouthed kisses.

“Ugh, you’re so fucking sappy!” Louis shouted, giggling like mad when Harry kissed a particular spot on his neck. Harry’s eyes widened at that.

“Holy shit, are you ticklish?” Harry asked.

“…No.” Louis answered, looking scared.

Harry was still for a long, tense moment before he started tickling Louis' lower abdomen.

“I hate you!” Louis shouted through his fit of laughter. “Give me my key back! I’ve changed my mind!”

“No give backs!” Harry laughed, feeling happier than he had ever felt in his entire life.

~

Harry and Louis had a very eventful afternoon of carjacking and shoplifting. They walked hand in hand back to Louis’ apartment, incredibly exhausted from all their activities. Louis was marveling at the diamond bracelet and Turquoise ring that Harry had gotten him. Harry got the bracelet because Louis couldn’t stop staring at it. He got the ring because it was Louis’ birthstone.

“Careful, you’ll turn me into a spoiled brat.” Louis said when Harry snuck the jewelry into his pocket.

“You’re already a spoiled brat.” Harry teased. Louis punched him in the arm for that.

The two of them were a few blocks away from the apartment when Harry heard a shout of his name. Harry turned his head, ready to curse someone out until he saw a familiar person running towards him. The person crashed into Harry and enveloped him in a tight hug.

“Morgan.” Harry whispered, hugging him back. Morgan pulled back from the embrace, examining Harry.

“I can’t believe it,” Morgan said, grinning like a madman. “ _God_ , look at you.”

“I thought I’d never see you again,” Harry said in disbelief. “How have you been? Is your sister alright? I heard that you went back home because she was sick.”

Morgan frowned and nodded. “Yeah. She was very sick but she’s fine now.”

“That’s amazing.” Harry said, unable to take his eyes off Morgan. “God, I missed you so much."

“I missed you, too.” Morgan said.

Harry flinched when he felt a pair of arms wrap around him from behind. He looked back to see Louis staring blankly at Morgan.

“Who’s your friend, Harry?” Louis asked, his voice devoid of any emotion.

“Oh, um, Louis, this is Morgan,” Harry said. “He’s an old friend of mine.”

Louis started to rub his hand up and down Harry’s bicep. “Hmm, nice to meet you, Morgan.”

“Nice to meet you, too, Louis,” Morgan said. “I’ve heard so much about you. The streets have been talking.”

Louis scoffed. “People tend to talk all kinds of shit about me, sweetheart, so you might wanna-“

“Stop.” Harry ordered. Louis looked up at Harry, his expression unreadable, before he rolled his eyes and walked off.

“Where are you going?” Harry asked, slightly annoyed at how Louis was acting.

“Where does it look like I’m going?!” Louis shouted back, walking up the steps of his apartment building.

“He’s, uh, quite the character.” Morgan said sheepishly.

Harry sighed. “I’m sorry. He’s usually cooler than that.”

“Eh, it’s fine,” Morgan chuckled. “I was being out of line. I shouldn’t have said that shit about people talking about him.”

“Yeah,” Harry agreed. “You really shouldn’t have. People say all sorts of shit about Louis, and I don’t pay any mind to any of it. He’s mine and always will be, regardless of anything people make up.”

“Wow, you’re really passionate about this one,” Morgan said.

Harry smiled. “Yeah, I am.”

Morgan fondly smiled back at him. “So, uh, wanna talk? Catch up a little bit?”

Harry felt like things should’ve been more awkward between him and Morgan. They had sex right before Harry went to prison, they once had strong feelings for each other, and now Harry was with someone else. However, things weren’t awkward at all. There was a strong sense of familiarity and comfort that flowed between them, making it easy to just be friendly with each other.

“Sure.” Harry answered. “Let’s talk a little.”

~

Harry talked to Morgan for half an hour, reminiscing on the old days and thinking about their plans for the future. After that, they parted ways, promising to meet up again one day next week.

When Harry entered Louis’ apartment, he was confused at how eerily quiet it was.

“Lou?” Harry called out, walking around the room. “Lou, where are you?”

Harry walked down the hallway towards the bedroom and paused when he heard a small noise coming from the bathroom. The bathroom door was cracked open and the lights were turned off. Harry pushed open the door and turned on the light, revealing Louis sitting in the bathtub with his face buried between his knees. Harry cautiously approached him and kneeled beside the tub.

“Babe, what’s wrong?” Harry asked, running his hand up and down Louis’ back. Louis looked up at Harry, his cheeks wet from the tears streaming down his face. Harry had never seen Louis cry before, and now that he has, he never wanted to see it again.

“Leave me alone.” Louis whispered, his voice cracked.

“Why?” Harry asked.

Louis looked away from Harry and shook his head. “I want to be alone right now. Just leave.”

“Lou, are you upset about what Morgan said?” Harry asked.

Louis bit his lip, squeezed his eyes shut, and buried his head back in between his knees.

“Oh, babe, don’t-“

“You didn’t even defend me!” Louis shouted, looking back up at Harry.

“What?”

“You told _me_ to stop. He was disrespecting me, assuming shit about me, believing the shit that people say about me, and you told _me_ to stop? How fucking dare you! I’ll defend myself whenever I fucking feel like it, you asshole! I don’t give a fuck if that was your friend! I’m not letting anyone walk over me! I’ve done that before and I will not do it again. You hear me? I’m not doing it again!”

“Lou, please calm down.” Harry said, his voice low. Louis was shaking with how angry he was and all Harry wanted was for him to calm down.

“You didn’t have my back,” Louis continued. “I needed you in that moment and you fucking took _his_ side! I thought you cared about me.”

“Louis, I _do_ care about you.” Harry said. “Do you wanna know what I said to him after you left? I told him that it was shitty of him to say what he said. I told him that I don’t pay any mind to what some random person on the street says. I told him that regardless of what _anyone_ says, you’re mine.”

Louis shook his head. “I highly doubt that, Harry.”

Harry was silent for a moment before he leaned forward to give Louis a kiss on the cheek. Louis looked at Harry with a wary expression. Harry smiled and started using his thumbs to wipe the wetness off Louis’ cheeks.

Harry placed his forehead against Louis’ and pecked his lips. “Regardless of what people say, I love you, babe.”

Louis’ eyes widened at that, causing Harry’s smile to grow larger. Louis didn’t do anything. He didn’t know what to do in that moment. After a while, he decided to just wrap his arms around Harry’s neck and hold him close.

“You better get comfortable, honey,” Louis chuckled. “Because it’s gonna be a while before I let go.”

Harry hugged Louis back, feeling the exact same way.

~

“Styles is _fucked up_.” Victor chuckled.

Harry laughed so hard that he nearly knocked Louis off his lap. The two of them, along with about eight other people, were at Victor’s house, enjoying some of the goodies from Harry’s stash. Harry had a lit up joint hanging from his lips, Louis was starting to feel the effects of the cocaine he just snorted, and everyone else was indulging themselves with whatever drug they felt like doing. Instrumental music was softly playing in the background, creating an incredibly blissful mood.

“You good, babe?” Harry asked. Louis had never tried coke before so Harry was a bit worried about how he was taking it. Harry doesn’t carry weak shit.

“I’m good, honey.” Louis giggled, giving Harry a kiss on the cheek.

“Yeah, he’s good, _honey_.” Victor teased, causing everyone in the room to laugh. Harry flipped him off.

“You got yourself a prize, Styles.” Victor said. “You mind sharing?”

“Fu-“

“The _prize_ can answer for himself,” Louis said. “Keep it in your pants, cunt. Don’t want anything you have to offer.”

“Feisty,” Victor grinned. “I like it.”

Harry traced patterns on Louis’ back and kissed his neck. “Ignore him, babe.”

“Eh, he’s not bothering me.” Louis said with a shrug.

Everyone in the room continued to enjoy their night, helping themselves to Harry’s stash and saying shit that made little to no sense. However, their peaceful evening didn’t last for long.

An hour later, a blonde rushed into the room, looking frantic, and shouted, “Cops are coming!”

Everything after that is a huge blur. People instantly started getting up and rushing out of the room, frantically yelling and cursing.

Harry cursed under his breath as he and Louis got up from the couch. Harry grabbed Louis’ hand and ran towards the back. Victor was sitting in his armchair, looking completely relaxed.

“Later, Harry!” Victor yelled.

“Later, Vic!” Harry yelled back, bolting out of the back door. He and Louis climbed over fences and ran through the neighborhood, hearing the distant sound of sirens. They didn’t stop running until they were at the neighborhood playground. They were both trying to catch their breath, completely worn out from all the activity they just did.

“Is Victor gonna be ok?” Louis asked.

“He’ll be fine,” Harry said. “This isn’t his first time with the cops and it won’t be his last.”

“The drugs are still back at the house, Harry,” Louis said. “What if Victor snitches and says that they belong to you?”

Harry laughed. “Ok, babe, first of all, Victor and snitching are two words that do not go together. Second, they can’t prove that it was mine. Relax.”

Louis nodded, feeling a whole lot more relaxed.

“Aww, my baby was worried about me.” Harry laughed, wrapping his arms around Louis’ waist.

“Oh fuck off.” Louis said, biting his lip to hold back a smile.

Harry took Louis’ hand in his and started walking with him down the street, which was dimly lit by the streetlights. Both of their highs were starting to wear off, leaving them more aware of their surroundings.

“You had fun tonight?” Harry asked.

“Yeah,” Louis answered. “Everything was so exciting. I can still feel my heart race.”

Harry squeezed Louis’ hand and the both of them continued their walk in comfortable silence. They ended up breaking into a mattress store and sleeping there for the rest of the night.

~

“You don’t know a damn thing about him. Stop assuming that you do!”

“Harry, he’s playing you. This is his game. He finds men who are considered powerful and uses them for a good time!”

“And who said this?”

“People have been-“

“Oh so it’s just useless gossip. It’s not information that I can trust.”

“Harry-“

“Shut up, Morgan.”

Harry had agreed to go out to lunch with Morgan and it didn’t take long before things went bad. Morgan started to tell Harry about all the rumors surrounding Louis. Unsurprisingly, Harry was having none of it.

Morgan looked pleadingly at Harry. “Harry, I’m just trying to protect you. Everybody’s worried sick about you. We’ve heard of the shit you’ve been up to for the past couple of months. You were over at _Victor’s house_! Harry, can’t you see that you’re slipping back into your old ways? And it’s all because of that-“

Harry slammed his fist on the table, looking like a maniac as he looked Morgan dead in the eyes. “Finish that sentence. Fucking _finish_ it. I fucking _dare_ you.”

Morgan’s eyes were wide and he was slumping back into his chair, appearing a lot smaller than he was.

“Harry,” Morgan whispered. “Please calm down.”

Harry was silent for a moment before he got up from his seat.

“You’re leaving?” Morgan sneered. “We haven’t even ordered anything.”

“I’m not hungry anymore.” Harry muttered, heading towards the door.

“Do you love him?” Morgan asked, making Harry stop dead in his tracks.

Harry gave a deep sigh, trying to calm himself down, before he answered. “Yes.”

“Have you ever told him?”

“Yes.”

“Has he ever said it back to you?”

Harry left the restaurant, spitting out a bitter “Fuck you.” to Morgan as he went.

~

“Holy fuck!” Louis said through his fit of laughter. “That’s so fucking embarrassing!”

Harry and Louis were having dinner at TGI Fridays, and Harry was telling the story of how Niall got the nickname ‘Horny Horan.’

“Dear God,” Louis breathed, calming down a little. “In the _middle_ of his speech?”

Harry nodded. “Yep, he got a hard-on in the _middle_ of his acceptance speech. Right in front of the schoolboard, politicians, and the whole damn school.”

Louis began to laugh again. “Why?!”

Harry shrugged. “I don’t know, babe. Eight years and I still don’t know.”

Louis sighed. “Oh, man, I would’ve literally _died_ of embarrassment.”

Harry chuckled. “Babe, if you think _that_ was embarrassing, you have to hear about Angelica.”

Louis looked at Harry with a very intrigued expression on his face. “Angelica?”

“Ok, so, this happened in the ninth grade,” Harry began. “Zayn, Niall, and I wanted a Wii, you know, the gaming console, but the damn thing was like, two hundred dollars and none of our parents would buy it. Then one day, we saw a poster for a beauty pageant. The grand prize for winning it was five hundred dollars, a fancy ass trophy, and a fancy ass crown. So, we were like, ‘One of us should enter the pageant and win the prize money so we can get the Wii!’ There was one problem though. Only girls could enter the pageant. We, uh, drew straws, I got the shortest one, and I had to pretend to be a girl. Niall and Zayn named me Angelica. We got Niall’s cousin to pretend to be my guardian and sign me up for the pageant, we stole this pastel pink dress and a blonde wig from the theatre department, and Zayn’s sisters taught me a dance for the talent portion of the pageant. None of our parents had _any_ idea that we were doing this. I did the pageant and I actually ended up winning the damn thing. However, as I was accepting my award… my wig fell off. While everyone was frozen with shock, I yanked the prize money from the host and started running out of the room. Zayn, Niall, and I started getting chased by angry beauty queens and pageant moms. We ended up outrunning them and went straight to Best Buy to get the Wii.”

Louis stared at Harry with wide eyes. “Harry, that was the best story I’ve ever heard in my entire life.”

~

December 7th is a day that Harry will never forget. It’s the day that the high wore off and the crushing weight of reality was placed on his shoulders.

Harry was at The Orchard, waiting on Louis to finish his shift, when he heard a loud shout of his name followed by screams from everyone in the restaurant. He turned his head and his skin paled at what he saw. Lily, the junkie he had met a few weeks ago, was standing right at the doorway with a gun in her hand.

Lily was shaking as she slowly raised the gun, pointing it directly at Harry. “G-Give me m-my shit!”

“Lily-“

“Don’t fucking play me!” She shrieked. “Give it to me!”

Heidi was at the counter, standing right behind Harry. She was frozen, completely unsure of what to do. Louis was standing in the doorway to the kitchen, looking just as shocked and clueless as Heidi.

“Lily,” Harry said, slowly getting up from his stool. “I don’t have anything on me right now, but if you’d-“

“You liar!” She yelled, starting to sob. “You fucking liar.”

Harry spent at least five minutes trying to talk Lily into dropping the gun before he heard police sirens. Lily’s eyes widened at that.

“That’s it,” She said, furiously shaking her head. “This is the end of the line for you, you bastard!”

When the shot rang out, Harry was expecting an explosion of pain on some part of his body, but it never came. He heard Louis scream so loud that it made his ears ring. Harry turned around and covered his mouth when he saw Louis holding Heidi. Her body was twitching as blood gushed from the gun wound in her chest.

Lily furiously shook her head, backing away until her back had hit the front door.

“This is the police!” Someone bellowed from outside. “Drop your weapon and come out with your hands up!”

Lily was as still as a statue, her face blotchy from her tears. After a while, she raised the gun to her head… and pulled the trigger.

~

Heidi was dead before the ambulance came. Her final moments were spent in Louis’ arms. The feeling of Heidi’s body twitching until it had finally stilled will always remain imprinted in Louis’ memory.

Harry, Louis, Zayn, Liam, Niall, Cara, and Morgan were all at Cara’s house. They were still, silent, and their faces were devoid of all emotion. Harry looked at Morgan and then looked at Louis.

“Lou,” Harry whispered, not wanting the others to hear him.

“What?” Louis whispered back.

Harry bit his lip and avoided Louis’ eyes. “Do you love me?”

Louis had remained silent, which shattered Harry’s heart in pieces that were much too sharp to pick up. Harry got up from his place next to Louis, slapping Louis’ hands away as they tried to get him to sit back down, and went into the kitchen to sit at the dining table.

The high had worn off.


	5. Aftermath

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't mean to pat myself on the back, but... I feel so accomplished. Every time I start a fic, I NEVER finish it and now... I finished one! My first completed fic! Thank you SO MUCH FOR reading! <3

“I was an ass,” Harry began, his voice hoarse. “I was a complete ass to each and every one of you and I am so sorry. I don’t deserve the forgiveness of anyone in this room, but I pray to God that I’ll receive it. I should’ve listened to all of you. I let my stupid pride get in the way and I… I’m just so sorry. I’m really, really sorry.”

Zayn was the first person to hug Harry. Niall, Liam, Cara, and Morgan all joined in, surrounding Harry with their warmth and unwavering love.

“Thank you,” Harry breathed. “Thank you so much. I won’t let you guys down this time. I promise.”

~

“Harry, I need those apple fritters to go to table eight!”

“Yes, ma’am!”

A week after Heidi’s death, her younger sister Grace came along to work out the funeral arrangements and take control of the restaurant. Heidi had always made it clear that she wanted Grace to take over if anything happened to her. A month after the funeral, Grace hired Harry as a waiter, which he had now been doing for the past two months.

As Harry exited the kitchen to get the apple fritters to table eight, he blew a kiss to Heidi’s picture, hanging proudly over a pot of tulips.

Harry hadn’t seen Louis since Heidi’s funeral. He wasn’t trying to avoid Louis or anything, in fact, it seemed like _Louis_ was avoiding _him_. Harry would be lying if he said that didn’t bother him. Being with Louis was unlike anything he’d ever experienced and well… he missed him. Harry shook those thoughts from his head, not wanting them to interfere with his work. He had a paycheck to earn.

~

“Food’s ready!” Harry shouted, turning off the stove.

Zayn and Liam came into the kitchen first, praising how good the food smelled. Niall was close behind them, complaining about how _starved_ he was. Cara and Grace came in after Niall, hand in hand and laughing about a story Cara was telling. Morgan came in after Cara and Grace with Daniel, his boyfriend. Harry placed everyone’s plates down on the table. They were filled with grilled chicken breasts, roasted potatoes, and steamed broccoli.

They all sat down at the dining table and started digging into their food. As Harry looked around, he grinned at the sight of his friends, his _family_. However, he still felt like something was missing.

Everyone grew silent when they heard a loud knock on Niall’s door.

“I’ll get it.” Harry said, getting up from his seat and heading to the door. He opened it and froze at who he saw. Standing right before him was a person he hadn’t seen in quite some time.

“Um, hey.” Louis said, looking nervous.

“Hey.” Harry replied, unsure of what else to say.

They stood in awkward silence for a moment before Louis started to ramble.

“I _did_ use you,” Louis began. “When I first saw you, I knew who you were, you know that, and I approached you because I wanted to use you to have a good time. I’ve done that with guys before and I’ve… I’ve _never_ felt guilty about it. Not until I started messing with you. Some of those rumors really are true and I was afraid. I didn’t know exactly what I was afraid of before, but now I know. I didn’t want to lose you. I didn’t want you to believe those things that people said and leave me. I tried to corrupt you. I tricked you into becoming the man you used to be, and yeah, that man was fun, but I’ll take whatever version that  _you_ wanna be, honey, because I love you. I really do. It surprised me when I finally came to terms with it, but now it’s so natural. Loving you is… the _easiest_ thing I've ever done. And I know that I don’t deserve a second chance, but if you give me one, I _swear_ I won’t blow it.”

Harry didn’t have to think twice about what to say next. “I’m gonna be an absolute bore. No more hard drugs and illegal shit, just boring days of living life and following the law.”

Louis smirked. “As long as our sex life isn’t a bore, I’m completely fine with that.”

Harry laughed at that and bit his lip. “Would you like to come in for dinner?”

Louis grinned. “I would love to."

Harry ushered Louis inside and closed the door. He led Louis to the kitchen and the noise instantly died down.

“So, is it ok if Louis joins us?” Harry asked the group.

Everyone began looking thoughtfully at each other, pretending to carefully mull over the thought of Louis joining them for dinner.

Zayn broke the entire act when he started to laugh. “Take a seat, Lou.”

While Louis sat in the empty seat beside Harry’s, Harry fixed Louis’ plate. He placed the plate in front of Louis and sat back down in his own seat.

As the conversation started flowing, Harry took another look around. He was pleased to find that nothing felt missing or out of place. Everything felt just right.


	6. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Something sweet to finish this off. Thank you so much for reading. :)

“Drunken idiots,” Louis muttered.

Harry laughed at that and pulled him in a tight embrace as they walked along the beach. They, along with Zayn, Liam, and Niall, decided to have a guys’ night. They came to the beach at around midnight and started a little bonfire. It didn’t take long into the evening for everyone, except Louis, to get drunk out of their minds.

“Don’t act like you don’t like it, babe.” Harry said, slurring some of his words.

“Get off me, drunkard.” Louis demanded, pushing against Harry’s chest. Harry didn’t even budge. Even in his intoxicated state, he was still more physically fit than Louis.

“Aw, but I wanna hold you,” Harry whined, giving Louis small kisses on his neck. “Louis! Do you wanna know what I wanna do?”

Louis sighed. “What, Harry?”

“I wanna make love to you right here on this beach,” Harry said. “It’ll be romantic. We’ll make sweet, passionate love to the cry of seagulls and the crashing of waves.”

“Yeah, and I’ll also get sand up my-“

“Roasted marshmallows!”

Harry squealed like a small child before he ran back to the bonfire. “Louis, come on! Roasted marshmallows! Their marshmallows, but roasted!”

Louis couldn’t help but smile and follow Harry back to the bonfire.  When he got there, Harry was already sitting down, roasting his marshmallow over the open fire. Harry looked up at Louis and smiled as he spread his legs and patted the space between them. Louis automatically sat down in between Harry’s legs. He took a marshmallow out of the bag and was about to put it in his mouth before Harry slapped it out of his hand.

“The fu-“

“Get a stick, put a marshmallow on the stick, and roast it,” Harry demanded, trying and failing to hold back a grin. “Don’t be a bore.”

“Harry-“

“Roast it.”

“Haz-“

“Roast it!”

“Jackass!”

“ _Roast it_!”

Louis cursed under his breath as he got another marshmallow, snatched a stick from the pile, and forced the marshmallow on the stick. He held the stick out near the fire, allowing the marshmallow to roast.

“Good boy!” Harry praised, patting Louis’ head.

“Fuck you.” Louis muttered.

Zayn, Liam, and Niall were laughing at the two of them, but that was mostly because large amounts of alcohol made _everything_ hilarious. Zayn was laughing so hard that Liam had to hold on to his waist to keep him from falling off his lap.

Louis pouted. “It’s not that damn funny.”

“It is.” Harry giggled, kissing the side of Louis’ neck. Louis turned his head to give Harry a peck on the lips, but Harry wanted more than just a peck. He slipped his tongue in between Louis’ lips. Louis moaned into the kiss. The feeling of Harry’s tongue against his was a feeling that he could never get tired of.

“You can do that in the privacy of your own home!” Niall shouted, throwing a shoe at the kissing pair.

“Niall, don’t be fucking rude!” Harry shouted back, throwing the shoe back at him.

“ _I’m_ rude?” Niall scoffed. “I’m not the one sticking my tongue down my boyfriend’s throat in front of my friends.”

“Of course you aren’t,” Louis said. “In order to do that, you need to have an actual boyfriend.”

“Aw, is your loneliness making you salty, Niall?” Zayn asked.

Niall grimaced. “I _prefer_ to be alone and I’m not salty. I just don’t like to see two people tongue wrestling right in front of me.”

“I’ll tongue wrestle my elf any time I want to!” Harry shouted.

“ _Honey_ ,” Louis whined, covering his face. He hated that nickname, so Harry loved to use it.

“My cute elf,” Harry cooed. “My baby hedgehog.”

“Stop.”

“My sweet, fluffy kitty.”

“God!”

Liam laughed. “He’s getting pinker by the second!”

“Are you embarrassed, kitten?” Zayn teased.

“I hate this!” Louis shouted, causing everyone to laugh.

The five of them spent the rest of the night eating marshmallows, singing random 80s pop songs, and embarrassing each other by telling stories, some old and some new. Eventually, Niall put out the fire and laid out three beach blankets for everyone to sleep on. Zayn and Liam shared one, Harry and Louis shared one, and Niall had one all to himself. While everyone else was sound asleep, Louis was looking at Harry’s face and using his fingers to trace every feature of it. He leaned down to give him multiple kisses on his soft lips, wondering how he got so lucky. Harry had been in his life for two wonderful years, and he was still so madly in love with him. Louis smiled at that thought and laid his head on Harry’s chest.

“You belong here.”

Louis flinched at the sudden sound of Harry’s voice, but he didn’t move to look at him.

“What do you mean?” Louis asked.

Harry started to massage Louis’ scalp. “You belong here with us… with _me_. And I want you to stay here, because you’re it for me. I can’t even imagine being with anyone else because that thought makes my chest ache. You’re it for me. I know that we didn’t meet each other with the best intentions in mind, but now, you and I have something that’s so… real. I love you, Louis.”

Louis was clutching on to Harry’s shirt and his eyes were watering. “I love you, too.”

For a moment, Louis felt stupid for not saying anything else, for not declaring his love just as passionately as Harry did. However, Harry had no need for a long, sappy speech worthy of a damn Nicholas Sparks novel. Those four words were more than enough for him.

It wasn’t long before Harry and Louis fell asleep, their fingers laced together and their hearts beating in synch.

~

Louis woke up to the sight of the sun peeking over the horizon. The sky was pastel orange, pink, and blue and the seagulls were crying above. He was completely at ease. He sat up to see that Harry was wide awake, his fingers still laced with Louis’ as he watched the sun rise.

Louis looked at his and Harry’s joined hands and froze at what he saw. On his left ring finger, there was a silver band that glimmered in the morning light. Louis looked at Harry’s face to see that he was staring at him, his expression hopeful and slightly nervous.

“I meant what I said last night,” Harry said, rubbing his finger against the ring. “You’re it for me. I want to keep you until we’re both old, gray, and unattractive.”

Louis laughed, wiping the tears that were streaming down his face. “We’ll _always_ be attractive.”

Harry grinned as he sat up. “What do you say, Lou? Do you wanna be stuck with me forever?”

Louis leaned forward to press his forehead against Harry’s. “I’m all yours, honey.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ~The End~


End file.
